(10) Caruana,Fabiano (2832) - Carlsen,Magnus (2835) [B33]
2018 World Chess Championship London (10), 22.11.2018
[Maxime Vachier-Lagrave]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Nd5 I didn't really expect a repeat of this line, even though Fabiano had achieved a great deal with it, simply because I thought it was mostly chosen because of the surprise value. 7...Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8 9.a4 Be7 10.Be2 0-0 11.0-0 Nd7 12.b4 We have an early deviation from Fabiano. It is very direct but at the same time it seems a bit strange to me to allow so happily the direct counter with a5. [12.Bd2 was seen in game 8. But no doubt Magnus was this time not only prepared for that move but also remembered the nuances!] 12...a6 [12...a5 is also fairly natural because the Nb5 could end up being misplaced in the long run but I'm guessing Magnus didn't like too much the possible pressure on the d6 pawn after say 13.bxa5 Rxa5 14.Ba3 ] 13.Na3 a5 14.bxa5 [I had wrongly assumed that 14.c3 was White's idea but it does look a bit slow. Black can just answer with 14...f5 as 15.Nc4 b6 and Black's queenside is very safe.] 14...Rxa5 15.Nc4 Ra8 16.Be3 f5 17.a5 Fabiano goes for the b6 square, and that idea was undoubtedly part of his preparation. 17...f4 18.Bb6 Qe8 Magnus played the most natural moves and now surprisingly Fabiano thought for a while, although probably not because he was out of preparation but more likely to try and see the position with a fresh eye with so many options available to him. Although from my point of view, it seems like White can run into so much trouble with his king that entering this line without having a very clear idea of what happens next seems very dangerous. 19.Ra3 This relocating of the rook via the 3rd rank is extremely natural but at the same time I realized I didn't see the upside of going into this sort position as it seemed to be neither safe nor objectively better or easier to play. [19.Bc7 would have been the direct approach. But Black can answer with 19...Rf6 20.Re1 Rh6 ; 19.Re1 was possibly a more subtle waiting move. If Black goes like in the game 19...Qg6 (19...Rf6 would still be my preferred choice) 20.Bc7 he doesn't have the same resource as in the game! Still his position is reasonable after a move like 20...Nc5 21.Bh5 Qf6 22.Nb6 Ra6 23.Nxc8 Rxc8 24.Bb6 but there at least White got rid of the light-squared bishop. I would even consider something like 24...Bd8 25.Be2 Bxb6!? 26.Bxa6 Bxa5 27.Rxa5 bxa6 with Black and hope to have enough compensations for the exchange thanks to the Nc5.] 19...Qg6 20.Bc7 White has to play this one day or another as he needs to restrain the Nd7. Now Nc5 would be answered by Nb6. [20.Re1 Nf6 21.Bc7 e4! 22.Nb6 Ra7 looks extremely dangerous for White.] 20...e4 [20...b5! was possible immediately. I didn't initially see it while I was casually watching the game but once you realize the option exists there's basically no other move that you'll consider!] 21.Kh1 b5! And Magnus goes for it. Not that there was anything wrong with any other attacking move on the kingside but this move seems the most challenging. Carlsen: "I thought for so long and I wasn't sure about it but I thought I just go for it and up the stakes even more. Either you win the game, or you get mated." [Caruana did consider this, but was expecting 21...Kh8 saying "I thought it actually asked White what the next move is. Many of my useful moves have problems." 22.f3 (22.Re1 Nf6 and then f2 hangs in some lines. (Caruana)) 22...e3 23.g3 ] 22.Nb6 [22.axb6 doesn't seem to work. 22...Rxa3 23.Nxa3 f3! (23...Nc5 was my first thought when looking at the position but playing slowly might be too much. White is definitely not resourceless after a move like. 24.Nb5! ) 24.gxf3 Ne5! and the computer seems really happy about this position, which might not come as a surprise. White's best defence is 25.Rg1 Qh6! 26.Nc4 (26.Qc1 Qh4 ) 26...exf3 27.Nxe5 (27.Bf1 Nxc4 28.Bxc4 Rf4 29.Qc1? (29.b7! only move but after 29...Bxb7 30.Qc1 Qf6 Black is obviously much better.) 29...Bg5! threatening both the trivial Rh4 and Qxh2+ after 30.b7 Qxh2+!! 31.Kxh2 Rh4+ 32.Kg3 Rh3# ) 27...fxe2 28.Qxe2 dxe5 29.Bxe5 g6! And while White retains practical chances the pair of bishops manages to contain the passed pawns on the queenside.] 22...Nxb6 23.Bxb6 Qg5!? A very interesting practical decision by Magnus. Basically every sensible move was possible in this position so it doesn't make sense to try and analyse them in depth but this approach of going straight at White's king is not only the most direct but also the most frightening in practice. 24.g3 I have to admit this move didn't cross my mind at all. My guess on why Fabiano went for this is that the advantage of this approach is that now Black cannot really choose how to proceed on the kingside and has only one setup available. So if he decided he could hold everything together he decided to go for it. [24.Bxb5 Of course the computer would play that. I can only assume Magnus intended 24...Rf6 25.Re1 (At the press conference Carlsen suggested 25.f3 e3 26.g3 Rh6 27.g4 Bd8 ) 25...Rg6 26.Bf1 Bf5 And while objectively this should be better for White it is also quite scary.; 24.f3 with an idea similar to the game, could have led to a very cute end 24...e3 25.g3! Rf6 (25...fxg3 26.Rg1 and there's no real attack anymore.) 26.gxf4 Qh5! 27.Bxe3 Qxh2+!! 28.Kxh2 Rh6+ 29.Kg1 Rg6+ and White is better advised to agree to the perpetual as 30.Kf2?? Bh4# is an immediate mate.] 24...b4 25.Rb3 [25.gxf4 Qxf4 26.Rg3 was also an option but Black is certainly pressing after 26...Bh4 ] 25...Bh3 [25...f3 26.Bb5 Bh3? (26...Rf6 27.Re1 Qg4 28.Bf1 and among others White has the idea of Rxe4 followed by Re3 (which could have been available on this move), and also in some moment e3 is available for his bishop to defend the h file. (28.Rxe4 might be even more practical although it's hard to say what this is after 28...Qxe4 29.Re3 Qg4 30.Rxe7 Bf5 ) ) 27.Re1 is the reason why Magnus started with Bh3.] 26.Rg1 [26.Re1 Bf6! (26...e3 looks scary enough and might be the main reason Fabiano rejected this move, but White has the cold-blooded 27.Rg1! available. 27...f3 28.Bxf3 exf2 29.Bxf2 Rxa5 30.Be3 would just be equal now.) 27.Rxb4 Bc3 28.Rxe4 fxg3! 29.hxg3 Bxa5! 30.Bxa5 Rxf2 and here White barely saves a raw after 31.Bg4 Bxg4 32.Rxg4 Qh5+ 33.Rh4 Qxd1 34.Rxd1 Rxa5 ] 26...f3 27.Bf1 Bxf1 28.Qxf1 Any direct approach with the rook would fail as White's bishop can get to e3 and cover the crucial h6 square. 28...Qxd5 [28...Rf6 29.Rxb4 Qh5 30.Be3! and Black's attempt at an attack is easily repelled. (30.Rxe4?? Rh6 31.h4 Bxh4 32.Rxh4 Qxh4+ 33.gxh4 Rxh4+ would mate) ] 29.Rxb4 The dust settled and while White's king is clearly no longer in danger - there's an argument that he never was really in danger other than psychological, but even then it felt serious - Black has a beautiful pawn center and could be aiming at pushing his central pawns at the appropriate moment. Also even if the position is less complicated to navigate now both players were getting short on time around here. 29...Qe6 30.Rb5! An excellent move, even if rather obvious. 30...Bd8 [30...d5 would be strongly met by 31.Qd1 Rf5 32.g4! Rg5 33.Be3 and White is the side pressing.] 31.Qe1 Bxb6 32.axb6 Rab8 The position is around equal but there is still room for a big fight. White's obvious trump is his pawn on b6, while Black can count on his center and the weakened White king, which while not in immediate danger, can never easily join the center in case of an endgame. 33.Qe3 Qc4 34.Rb2 Rb7 35.Rd1 A bit of an inaccuracy due to Magnus' strong answer. But not even sure we can call it that as Fabiano kept things well under his control afterwards. 35...Qe2! 36.Re1! [36.Qxe2 fxe2 37.Re1 Rxf2 38.Kg1 Rbf7! while still being within drawing margin, would be ostensibly unpleasant to fac as White has no easy way to regain the pawn. 39.Rbb1 (39.b7 Rf1+ 40.Kg2 Rxb7 41.Rxe2 Rxb2 42.Kxf1 Kf7 ) 39...d5! 40.c3 h6 and b7 is always met by Rf1+; 36.Qb3+?? Kh8 37.c4 would trap the queen if not for 37...Rxb6! 38.Rxe2 fxe2 and Black wins; 36.Qd4?? would also be a serious attempt if not for the beautiful and winning 36...e3! 37.c4 exf2! 38.Rxe2 fxe2 and as Magnus pointed it out afterwards, the pawn on c4 prevents White from capturing the pawn with the fork Qc4+] 36...Qxe3 37.Rxe3 d5 38.h4 This is the most practical approach to get White's king more active. He aims to reach g3 via g4. 38...Rc8 [38...Rf6 39.c4! dxc4 40.Rxe4 Rbxb6 41.Rxb6 Rxb6 42.Rxc4 would liquidate into a draw.] 39.Ra3! [The attempt to liquidate everything fails: 39.Rb5? Rxc2 40.Rxd5 Rxb6 41.Rxe4 Rxf2 would lose on the spot] 39...Kf7 [39...Rc6?? would be a huge blunder because of 40.Ra8+ Kf7 41.Ra7 Rxa7 42.bxa7 Ra6 43.Rb7+ and now the king has no good square 43...Kf6 (43...Kf8 44.Rb8+ ) 44.Rb6+ wins] 40.Kh2 [40.Ra7 Rcb8 41.c4! dxc4 42.Rc2 would have drawn immediately.] 40...Ke6 41.g4 Rc6 42.Ra6! A very important decision and the correct one. Fabiano correctly judged that with both rooks on the b file he wouldn't be able to obtain the necessary counterplay with his rooks. [42.Rab3 would still objectively hold but White is reduced to passivity after say 42...h6 43.Kg3 (43.h5 Ke5 44.Rb5 g5 45.hxg6 Rxg6 46.c4! Rxg4 47.Rxd5+ Kf4 48.Rh5 also looks scary but is holding.) 43...g5 44.hxg5 hxg5 45.Rb1 Kd6 46.Rb5 Rc5 47.R5b2 Kc6 and even if the computer claims 48.c3! Rxc3 49.Rh1 is a draw, you definitely don't want to get to that point if you can avoid it.] 42...Ke5 43.Kg3 h6 44.h5 Kd4 Maybe underestimating Fabiano's next move, Magnus gets into a bit of a scare. [Here I expected 44...g5 but both 45.hxg6 (or the immediate 45.Rb5 Rxc2 46.Raa5 Rd2 47.Rb1 and Black makes no progress.) 45...Rxg6 46.Rb5 h5 47.Raa5 Rxg4+ 48.Kh3 are easily holding as the rooks create more than enough counterplay.; Carlsen mentioned 44...Rb8 when 45.Rb5 is interesting (Caurana).] 45.Rb5! White is more than in time to create counterplay and the king is now misplaced. Hard to figure what Magnus missed on that one, but he took his time and found the arguably best practical decision. 45...Rd6! [45...Kc4 was the move recommended as best by the now famous Sesse although 46.Raa5 d4 (46...Rbxb6 47.Rxd5 Rb1 48.Re5 Rg1+ 49.Kf4 even if this is a draw it looks downright scary. 49...Rf6+ 50.Rf5 Rxf5+ 51.Rxf5 Rg2 52.Kxe4 Rxg4+ 53.Kxf3 Rg1 and Black holds as the king will eventually manage to come back to the kingside.) 47.Re5 definitely looks scary as the king is so far away from the kingside. If Black loses his central pawns he might be lost in any rook endgame with his king cut. I also can't see an immediate way to draw even if I'm confident in the fact that it still exists. 47...Rcxb6 48.Rxe4 Rb2 49.Ra4+ R7b4 is possibly still holding but looks far too scary.] 46.Ra4+ Ke5 47.Rab4 Ke6! Here Fabiano saw no point to torture Magnus even though with colors reversed the game might still be going on at the time I'm typing those words. 48.c4 There is no real point in delaying that move as Black is aiming at Rc6 anyway. 48...dxc4 49.Rxc4 Rdxb6 50.Rxe4+ Kf7 51.Rf5+ [51.Rf4+ Kg8 52.Rc5 was arguably a try at keeping both pairs of rooks on the board. But in general Black always manages to eventually exchange them either by harassing the rooks (with two rooks on the same file like here, just moving endlessly the rooks) or arguably by staying passive on the last two ranks as White will have a hard time making progress anyway. Let's note though that 52...Rf6?! 53.Rxf6 gxf6 54.Kxf3 would be a downright draw with the pawn on f7, but with the pawn on f6 the additional weakness on the seventh rank makes it a tad more difficult to defend in practice.] 51...Rf6 52.Rxf6+ Kxf6 53.Kxf3 Kf7 54.Kg3 Fabiano doesn't see the point in keeping on playing, and I can't argue with that decision as White can't make any progress without exchanging pawns on the kingside, but then there's really not enough pawns remaining as it is well known for a few centuries! In any case we got a very interesting game today in spite of a peaceful result once again, and I felt like both players took some risky or principled decisions on purpose, which means they're not waiting for what looks like a probable tiebreak. So I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of a decisive result kicking in in the last two games. Also, the quality of the games seems very high to me in general especially considering they've been at it for almost three weeks now. 1/2-1/2